"Another point worth noting is that ‘C’ Class DS240 (31271) was at Ashford Works in departmental service as a stationary boiler. This was reported to still be in use providing steam for cleaning bogies on July 23, 1967 nearly two weeks after southern steam had finished."

Correct Conan, an expansion device. DTT it looks like a rush job. To be honest I've only ever seen lagged feed pipes on former USSR and other locos that work for extended periods in extreme cold conditions, in this case it looks like a fitter got over worried and just wrapped 3' of rope around it.

S4.

Logged

A day without learning something is a day lost and my brain is hungry. Feed me please.

I wonder what machine she was providing steam for inside the shed?. Does anyone have any idea why the supply pipe from the steam dome has an upward U-bend in it, could it have acted as an expansion device of some sort?

Logged

To remain ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain a child......Cicero

There has been a setback for the Ashford Model Rail Centre, the proposed site was on old Klondyke works land and after testing this was found to be contaminated. The combined cost of buying the land and subsequent clean up was too expensive so a new location is being sought.

I think you will find that it is a scheme proposed by a number of people and backed by others, some of whom are rock stars, rsther than being proposed by a rock star. I believe that they have problems with the proposed building area being classed as contaminated land and are looking for somewhere else in the area.

I have been keeping a watching brief on the this site and I can report that the area north of the long carriage sheds in the centre of the image (with the red crane in the clearing) are being cleared for re-development. We understand that the proposal is to build mixed residential housing and to reuse the old sheds as they are grade 2 listed as retail units. The exterior walls will be retained and also the internal cranes, but there are no other features still in-situ.